Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-08-31
"1BOUT KANSAS .

SshS' Luz dltlCtc VIII appear SHY 10
every one who is acquainted with this
state, and why the Tribune, usually a
fair paper, should deal in such misrep-
resentatiOn, is more than we can I'M
derstand. We copy portions of the az
ticle:
THE northeastern part of Kansas is
composed OF good land which will COM
pare fayOrably with q greater part of
Missouri. Outside of this section there
IS no part OF Kansas, il we except Il
narrow strip of bottom land along the
Arkansas river from Hutchinson To the
Indian territory, which can i'm any way
compare with this state. Tie associate
press may misrepresent this matter
from June I'LL eternity, but the fact re-
mains nevertheless. In few
weeks the western counties Of Missouri
will be swarming with Kansas beggdrs
who seek TO winter over in this state.
Their crops failed and they have no
means of making a living. a poor far
mer In Kansas is the poorest man i'm
the world. lie may own teams and
wagons, but nine times out of ten he
can ind no employment. The
average Kansas immigrant is a victim
of misplaced confidence. lie reads the
wonderful story about cheap land and
big crops, and is induced TO sell pleas
ant little home in Illinois, Indiana or
Iowa, load up his family and house
hold plumber and go to Kansas. If he
goes I'm the fall the PROBABILITIES are that
he will either come back at once or To-
cate in some other state, but If he
moves III the spring, which is generally
the case, the broad green prairies and
81 q ln eli, he -,
work. There is more abject
poverty in Kansas to-day than in any
three states of the union combined. It
Is the poorest place i'm the country for
poor man II he expects to make a liv-
ing by agricultural pursuits. If the
stream OF money brought into Kansas
from other states would stop for two
seasons, the real resources of the state
would readily appear insufficient, and
even the associate press would be forced
to tell the truth occasionally. 1t is
only by keeping up immigration and
rbobing immigrants that false repu-
tatlOn Is maintained. Mis-
sOurIans know the worth OF Kansas
and they keep away from that state.
IL 1t was the Garden of Eden represent
ed, Missouri people would have diScuv-
cred the fact long ago, but it is q rare
in Kansas. = The truth is that
only very small portion of Kansas is
adapted for farming, and the good land
Is not within the reach of ordinary i'm
migrants. Up till the latter part of
July the southern aud western portions
OF Kansas furnishes good grazing for
cattle and sheep, but later the drouth
scOrcheS the grass until stock can
scarcely subsist on it.. But even in
this respect Nebraska is n much better
state for stock raising. as the grass is
OF superior quality and the fall drouth
is never so distressing. ="
Now the editors of the INDEX were
born and raised in Missouri; they were
raised in the democratic party and the
Campbellite church and they are there
fore honest and truthful if they are
anything. Right here and now we
want to say that the Tribune article is
tissue of Misrepresentation mis-
statements, downright lying and
shameful ignorance. Let US prove
tins:
Everyone acquainted with Kansas
knows that the richest and most pro-
ductive land IN the state is i'm the south
western portion, and instead of the
Arkansas river valley being a narrow
strip, it is as wide and rs productive as
the Missouri river valley. More corn,
more wheat, more oats, more small
grain Of every kind is raised in the Ar
kansas valley from Hutchinson to Ar
kansas City than is raised in the Mis-
souri, valley from Kansas City to st.
Charles. The figures will prove this.
The Tribune says Missouri will be
swarming with Kansas beggars who
seek to winter in that state. In a
measure this will be true: Along the
northeastern border of this state is a
stripOf territory so much like Missouri
that the line between the states cannot
be easily distinguished. In the sum-
mer season the ''poor white trash'' of
western Missouri drift over into boun-
tiful Kansas TO work i'm the harvest
fields to make a living; others come
over on general begging expedition,
and yet Others To deal in horse-fIesh.
Those too trifing to earn permanent
homes, too lazy to beg and too stupid
to successfully steal, must and do make
their way back to Missouri to get a
living from their wives people, or run
for Office.
The average Kansas immigrant is
not victim Of misplaced confidence.
lie is usually man of education and
information, first, or he would not
know OF this country. lie is induced
to sell poor home back east for big
figures, pay of mountain of debt that
has gradually covered him and flee to
Kansas, a free man, where he can buy
better land than his old home for half
the money he sold for, and where he
can raise more on 40 acres than he could
raise on quarteT-section of the hills,
bluffs and rocks of his eastern home.
The Tribune says "there is more
abject poverty in Kansas to-day than
in any three states of the union com.
bined." That is the statement of an
ignOramus. There is less poverty in
Kansas to-day than in Missouri. Com.
pare the population of the newest coun.
ty in Kansas to-day with any of the
southwestern or southeastern countie.
Of Missouri. Bring out your citizens OF
Ozark, Christian, fancy, Douglass
Miller, Maries, and even Cole county
Why halt OF them haven't even a COW:
but few own horse; il is the exception
when they have gate on hinges; they
do not use fiat tobacco" or wear
"store Clothes" Such citizens here
would be supported by the county as
paupers.
The Tribune says II is Il rare circum-
stance TO find a Missouri farmer in
Kansas. That is another exhibition OF
ignorance. We will speak of Barber
county alone: One-fourth Of the pOpu-